


The Joker Virus

by feathersandriddles



Category: Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Gotham (TV)
Genre: Arkham Knight, M/M, Suicide Attempt, arkham city
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 08:50:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13701060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feathersandriddles/pseuds/feathersandriddles
Summary: Edward doesn’t want to become HIM.It’s been a year since Joker’s death in Arkham City but it feels like he never died. When he was alive, his blood was infected by something deadly and he refused to go out alone. A year later, Harley Quinn wants her love to live through the people that she helped get infected by Tha Joker Virus. Edward Nygma was unfortunately one of them. Oswald Cobblepot has trouble accepting his fate.Inspired by The Maze Runner’s The Death Cure.





	The Joker Virus

**Author's Note:**

> I altered some things from Arkham City and Arkham Knight for this fic.

“Ed, just a little bit more! We’re almost at the manor.”

Oswald got word from an officer that he had on his payroll that Jim Gordon was planning to gather all the infected in Wayne Manor. He wasn’t exactly sure why they chose that specific location but if it’s hosted by a billionaire then they must have found a cure.

The moment he heard the news he took Edward, who was getting weaker by the minute and skin alarming losing color, into the backseat of one of his cars and began driving to the destination. He drove through the destruction Gotham had become that night; buildings on fire, people running around scared, the GCPD shooting at the infected, thugs taking advantage of the chaos to commit crimes...Gotham was in bigger shambles than usual.

Since Oswald isn’t usually the one behind the wheel, he wasn’t aware how much gas the car had until it abruptly stopped just a mile away from the manor.

“Gah!” Oswald yelled as he started hitting the steering wheel out of anger.

His tantrum was cut off when he heard Edward harshly coughing. Oswald saw from the rear view mirror that he coughed blood into the sleeve of his suit . Edward quickly wiped the blood that was on lips as if he could wipe away and forget what just happened.

Oswald looked at how far the manor was through the car window and he concluded it wasn’t that far. He could see the blue and red lights from the police cars that were already there.

They could make it.

Oswald got out of the car and opened the door to the back.

“Come on, Ed. Let’s start walking.”

Edward looked at Oswald like he was going to say something but one look into Oswald’s eyes made him decide against it. There was so much fear but hope in Oswald’s eyes.

Oswald helped Edward out of the car and wrapped an arm around Edward’s waist as he wrapped an arm around Oswald’s shoulder. With his free hand, Oswald grabbed hold of Edward’s arm that was draped around him to keep him right up.

They began walking as best they could in Edward’s weak state and with Oswald’s injured leg.

Oswald was straining and causing himself a lot of pain but he didn’t care. He needed to get Edward to safety.

Edward collapsed to the ground three times that journey.

“Ed, please get up. We-“

“There’s no cure, Oswald!” Edward finally snapped, making Oswald jump from the sudden raise of volume, as he stopped Oswald from trying to pick him up again.

Edward sighed as he tried to fight the sudden anger down.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered as he crawled to the tree that he fell a few inches from to sit against.

Oswald followed his lead and sat in front of him, ignoring his bad leg.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.”

“Oswald, there’s no cure.” Edward said more calmer.

“But-“

“If there was ever one or possible to actually make one, Joker would’ve been cured a long time ago. They would have saved so many lives from being taken by him. Of course since it was just one person, they didn’t bother to create one since their intention was to always kill him but Batman never allowed it. Now that innocent people have gotten infected, they’re trying to be saviors and have failed.”

“Why would Gordon command his officers to escort any infected to a place if there’s no cure?”

“You’re smart, Oswald. I’m sure you figured it out but refuse to accept it as a possibility. They’re going to blow the manor up.”

Oswald did think of that outcome but Ed was right, he didn’t want that to be an answer.

“That son of a bitch wouldn’t dare.”

“This isn’t Jimbo’s first kill. He already has so much blood on his hands. What’s another group of dead people to him? Plus Batman...Bruce...is infected too.”

The last part was new information to Oswald.

“How do you know that?”

“Selina told me when she came tell us that the big plan failed. She noticed I was infected and she looked rather...sad? I have never really been able to read expressions very well.” Edward said, knowingly looking at Oswald.

Oswald gave a small chuckle at that.

“You were always a little dense when it came to that.”

Edward playfully scoffed but then became serious again.

“She was telling me how Batman has it too and has given up. He was the first one to get infected and has been trying to find a cure ever since. He has only managed to make a serum to delay the inevitable. Dealing with it has gotten too much now. I know the feeling.” Edward said as his voice cracked.

Oswald took a hold of Edward’s hand and squeezed it.

“He almost killed Scarecrow when he confronted him,” Edward began again, “after Ivy sacrificed herself to stop the fear gas he was releasing over the city with a mixture of the Joker virus that Harley implanted. There’s no cure and he’s going to blow himself up along with the people he failed to save.”

Oswald stubbornly shook his head.

“There has to be something. This can’t be the end.”

“And if there was a cure,” Edward started to say with a sad small smile,”why would they give it to me? They have been wanting to get rid of us since forever. This is the best way to.”

Oswald brought Edward’s hand to his lips to give it a kiss.

“I don’t care what anyone says, you deserve that cure. I would have demanded that cure.”

“You would have fought for something that didn’t exist.” Edward said.

Jim Gordon suddenly appeared on all the big screens in the city.

The echo of his voice from the different monitors made it loud enough for Oswald and Edward to hear from where they were.

“This following message is for the people of Gotham. I know this isn’t want you to hear...especially at a time like this but I’m sorry. We tried to evacuate as many of you as we could when Scarecrow and Harley Quinn made their announcement but they cut off all means of transportation out of the city. We were able to stop the gas they wanted to unleash that would have affected the whole East Coast with the help of Poison Ivy. However, that didn’t stop them from infecting many with the virus and it spreading.”

Jim let out a sigh as he took off his glasses that he had been told to wear the past couple of years and pinched the bridge of his nose. You could see bags under his eyes. He was tired. Everyone was.

“A year ago, I believed we saw the last of the Joker when he died but he’s still with us through these people and we cannot take an army of him. So as Commissioner, I got in contact with the Mayor and we came to a decision.”

Jim paused to take a deep breath.

“We decided to gather as many infected as we can to Wayne Manor and have them be...disposed of. If you have a friend or a family member with the virus I am truly sorry but there is no cure. We have done the best we could. For the rest of you, with most of the infected gathered someplace else we can start taking you all out of the city to safety with the help of outside forces. Scarecrow and Harley Quinn are put behind bars and are not in control anymore. The rest of the infected will be bombed. Gotham City will be no more. We’ll have to start anew. Again, I am truly sorry.”

The broadcasting cut off. It was over.

“I told you.” Edward said, getting Oswald’s attention back.

Oswald felt himself shaking. Out of anger or disbelief, he wasn’t sure.

“Ed...I should be going through this not you. Why did jump in front of that shot launched at me by Hugo Strange those weeks ago?”

Hugo Strange was the reason Edward was infected by the virus. Harley went to Strange with Joker’s blood that he drained from himself just before he died. A month past since Batman “killed” Joker, as Harley puts it, and a month of grieving had past as well which seemed enough for Harley. She told herself that her Puddin’ wanted his legacy to live on so she decided making more Jokers was the answer. Harley blackmailed Strange into sending the infected blood to all the hospitals in Gotham. She also had Strange make small doses of what they now call The Joker Virus from the blood. Anyone that needed a transfusion or was unlucky to meet the end of the shot Harley would insert in them would get infected by the virus.

Oswald and Edward got involved when they learned that Hugo Strange was still alive after the events in Arkham City. Strange was working with Ra’s Al Ghul on a operation that would murder thousands and pave way for Ra’s and himself to conquer the world. He created a prison in the heart of Gotham that held thousands of people, including them. Oswald and Edward wanted him dead for what he was going to do to them and for being treated like animals in that jail.

They managed to find out where Strange was hiding after searching him for days. They took him back to their hideout to torture him like he did to them at some point. What they didn’t know was Strange knew they were coming for him. He sneaked a shot with the Joker virus that they failed to noticed since it was hidden under his watch. Towards the end of the torture session, they didn’t realize that the bonds on Strange got loose. When Oswald was near Strange, delivering his last lines to him, Strange used the remaining strength he had left and got the small shot from its hiding place into his hand. Edward noticed the movement.

“Oswald!” Edward exclaimed as he pushed Oswald to the side and got the shot injected into his his thigh just as he cut Strange’s throat. He gargled and bled out.

“Ed! Are you okay?”

“I-I don’t know what he put in me.”

Later they found out what it was and how fast it was spreading in the city. Just one drop of blood from the infected into your own blood was the end and it was easy for that to happen since blood was drawn when fighting the infected off at a close range.

Oswald stopped repeating the events of how they got here in his head when Edward answered the question he asked in the present.

“Because I love you. I’m sorry I kept that away from you for so many years. I never thought you could still love me after everything I’ve done to you.”

“I never stopped loving you, Ed. I mean it.”

Oswald leaned in and kissed Edward on the lips.

“You’re the only one.”

“And you’re the only one for me, Oswald.” Edward said before letting out a cry of pain.

“Ed!”

“Oswald, you have to kill me!” Oswald was about to respond before he was cut off. “Please don’t make me become him. I don’t want to be him.”

Oswald desperately shook his head.

“Please, Ozzie....please.” Edward pleaded.

“I-I...can’t. I can’t do it. I’m weak.”

Edward grabbed Oswald’s shoulders with a strong grip.

“Do it you coward!” He yelled. “Kill me!”

“Ed, stop! You’re hurting me.” Oswald said as he managed to push Edward back.

Edward leaned back against the tree with his head down as he heavily breathed. After a few seconds of silence, Edward started chuckling.

“Ed?” Oswald asked, worried.

The chuckling grew louder and louder until it was pure laughter.

Oswald got up and slowly started backing away from Edward.

“No...”

Edward looked up and locked eyes with Oswald. Blood was dripping down his chin from his mouth. His eyes showed no more warmth and his skin was turning pale. Green was starting to appear in his hair.

Edward got up, new found energy, and started slowly to approach Oswald that already put distance between them.

“Ed? It’s me. Oswald.”

At that, Edward began charging at Oswald.

Oswald managed to duck out of the way before Edward crashed into him.

Edward stumbled a bit when he missed but caught himself.

“Ed, please snap out of it! You can beat this!”

Edward turned to Oswald and laughed like what he said was the most hilarious thing in the world.

“Why are you so serious?”

Oswald’s foot betrayed him as it gave out when Edward charged towards his direction again and stopped him from avoiding him this time.  
  
Oswald’s back came in contact with the ground hard as Edward straddled him. Edward immediately wrapped his hands around Oswald’s neck, cutting off his air.

“E...d” Oswald managed to breathe out.

Edward laughed looking at the life draining from Oswald’s eyes and him slowly turning blue by the second.

Blood from Edward’s mouth was falling onto Oswald’s face. Oswald kept trying to avoid the drops from falling into his mouth as he tried to speak.

Oswald managed to reach and touch Edward’s face during the ordeal. He started caressing his cheek.

“M...e. It...s m...e...Ed... ple…ase.”

The laughing coming from Edward suddenly ceases as a moment of clarity washed over him. Edward let out a gasp when he saw where his hands were and let go.

Oswald coughed and started breathing in the air that he lost.

“Oswald! I’m so sorry!” Edward said as he stayed in his position but hands on Oswald’s chest this time to feel it rise and fall.

“It’s alright, Ed.” Oswald croaked out. He wiped the blood that was on him with his sleeve and then wrapped his hands around Edward wrists and started rubbing circles around them. “It’s alright.”

Edward looked like he was about to cry. He was terrified of what he almost did.

“No, it’s not alright.” Edward said. He snatched his hands out of Oswald. He reached into his right jacket pocket and pulled out a gun. He pointed it towards his own temple and clicked the gun.

“Stop!” Oswald yelled as he slapped the gun out of Edward’s hand just before it went off, the bullet barely missing his head.

The gun slid a distance away from them.

Edward screamed in anger as he went to go get the gun again.

Oswald managed to grab Edward’s leg when he got off of Oswald causing him to fall forward. Oswald jumped on Edward’s back at that height, hoping his weight will keep him down.

Edward began to laugh again as he began to roll over the ground with Oswald on his back to try and get him off. Oswald held on tight the whole time until Edward rolled into a tree, having Oswald hit it as he let go because of the pain.

Oswald didn’t have time to think about how much that hurt because Edward was already making his next move.

Edward reached into his pocket again and took a pocket knife this time. He held it against Oswald’s neck.

“Any last words, little bird?” Edward giggled.

In the corner of his eye, Oswald saw there was a rock right next to him.

“Come back to me, Edward.” Oswald said as he started to quietly reach for the rock.

“Eddie is right here but I can’t say the same about you.” He responded.

When Edward pressed the knife deeper into Oswald’s neck, drawing blood, Oswald grabbed the rock and smashed it against Edward’s head.

The impact caused Edward to cry out and fall next to Oswald.

Oswald took that distraction to get up and rush the best he could with his limp over to where the gun was. He picked it up.

“You’re not getting this.” He told Edward.

Oswald looked back at Edward who managed to get up on his knees. There was blood dripping from the injury on his head. Oswald couldn’t help but feel guilt that was the cause of that.

Edward was looking down, trembling from the amount of laughing he was doing.

“Ed?” Oswald asked.

Edward looked up at Oswald and it absolutely broke him.

“Kill me, Oswald!” Edward strained out as he tried to stop laughing. Tears were streaming down his face from the effort in staying in control. “You have to kill me!”

Oswald looked at the gun in his shaky hand and back at Edward.

He saw the damage the virus had done. He saw the monster Edward had become. The monster he never wanted to become. He saw that it could have been prevented if he was brave enough to let Edward go.

Love is sacrifice.

“I love you, Ed.” Oswald said, his voice sad.

The sanity that managed to break through was lost again as Edward ran towards Oswald once more with the knife in his hand.

Just as Edward was in reach, Oswald pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit in the same place that Edward once aimed at him near the docks.

Everything stopped. Edward stood still and was just staring at Oswald. The knife fell from his grip onto the ground.

He fell forward and onto Oswald.

Oswald caught him and held him close to keep him from falling. If anyone were to walk into this scene right now, it would like they were just hugging. But Oswald knew better.

With his last breath, Edward whispered, “thank you.” as his legs gave out and he collapsed.

Oswald tried to stop him but the dead weight was too much for him to hold and he fell with Edward.

Oswald loomed over Edward and held his face in his hands. He looked into Edward’s unseeing eyes and silently begged them to see again but he knew it was no use. His whole body was trembling. He knew he was going into shock but he couldn’t care less. His love was dead. He killed him.

Oswald finally let out a agonized scream as he pulled Edward into his arms and rocked them both back and forth as he cried into his unmoving chest.

Edward had a small smile on his face through it all. It wasn’t the wicked smile the other Joker victims had when they were killed. This one was a genuine one. One that shows Edward died happy. He was done fighting and he hoped to finally get peace in his head that he had been trying to achieve for so long.

Edward Nygma was finally free.

Oswald Cobblepot was completely ripped apart.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you didn’t cry too much. Please tell me what you thought!


End file.
